From Seed to Full Bloom « Wayne Hastings

My wife is a tremendous gardener. I would not be surprised if you looked up the definition of “green thumb” that you’d find her name as a primary example of the term. She brings incredible color to our home’s exterior and delivers beautiful color to my life as well.

Now, I won’t say that her results are instant or without hard work. She plants seeds and plants, faithfully waters and fertilizes them, prays over them, and nurtures them until one day, those seeds and plants burst forth into vibrant color. But she’s not finished. After her hard work to make the soil right, and care for her plants, the pests, and the weeds come. Now, instead of nurturing, she’s battling. It seems that almost daily, she’s taking on critters and pesky growing things that want to choke out her hard work.

Watching her garden grow and prosper reminds me of the Parable of the Seed Growing found in Mark 4. Jesus is teaching by the sea, and there was such a large group, Jesus got into a boat and sat in it. He says in Mark 4:26-29:

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

In the parable, Jesus is comparing sowing seed to our sowing of faith. He’s saying that the development of the Kingdom is like the development of a farmer’s crop. Like my wife’s endeavors, there’s the planting of the seed into good ground. I know for myself once I learned of the salvation of Jesus, there was a small seed planted into my heart, and nothing could stop its growth because the Gospel seed planted in a receptive heart will grow (and did I ever grow!).

Like the seed in the ground, it’s hard to explain the invisible work that’s happening. The seed with water, good soil, and a bit of pressure grows while the farmer waits. But he knows there’s work going on just as God knows, as we begin our spiritual journey, we will grow.

We could not get enough of the Bible and teaching from three pastors—Charles Swindoll, Chuck Smith, and J. Vernon McGee. All three were on the radio, and Pam would record their shows and, we’d listen at night.

Seeds typically have four stages—seed, blade, head, and blossom or grain. It takes a while for that all to happen, but it happens. Likewise, I didn’t learn everything about my new faith in an instant. It took a regular study of the Bible and books, solid teaching from small groups and adult Sunday School, and some talented pastors. Growth was gradual, but the rewards (or harvest to keep the analogy going) was one-hundred-fold.

Like flowers that keep budding, I’m still growing and learning. Both Pam and I study our Bibles daily. Pastor David Guzik wrote, “The Bible isn’t just an instruction manual or a list of rules to follow. It lives and works its life into us. It has hidden and mysterious power to change our life.”[1] I couldn’t agree more as God’s Word has changed our lives.

I’m also blessed to work with authors and colleagues who teach me about Jesus and the Bible every day. I’m grateful for the knowledge God has given them and their eagerness to pass it along.

Are you a seed ready to pop? Or are you a blooming plant that reflects the love of Jesus? Or, are the “pests and weeds” of this world choking out God and your time with Him. Lastly, do you have questions about Jesus and faith? Please let me know about your faith walk, and any questions I can help answer.

Wayne Hastings is a publishing consultant and author of several books. His latest is The Way Back From Loss: Reassembling the Pieces of a Broken Life. Wayne has also written two short books for authors: 7 Mistakes Authors Make and How to Overcome Them, and 7 Tips for Selling and Marketing Your Book.